THE hottest social media sharing today is about former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Joining the avalanche of felt unhappiness and offendedness are netizens, MPs and noted civil society leaders.
An ex-MP slammed Dr Mahathir for his “hate-filled rants”. People are asking, “Are not all Indians being victimised?”
Rightfully too the unity minister slammed Dr Mahathir over his remarks on Indians.
As pointed out by National Unity Minister Aaron Ago Dagang, political leaders like Dr Mahathir failed to serve as role models in fostering unity, harmony, and a sense of togetherness.
The chorus of criticisms in fact are flooding social media, going up in arms against Dr Mahathir for saying Indians are not “completely loyal to Malaysia” in a recent interview.
Should he not be spreading messages of unity and togetherness?
Do his statements that touch on religious and ethnic sensitivities not precipitate into hatred?
What action ought to be taken on Dr Mahathir as the rule of law never fails to pounce on a commoner citizen who spews similar, bitter shrapnel?
Why is he trashing the very basis of togetherness through the social contract which led to our independence?
Why write off completely the fact that it is the diversity of the population that has strengthened the nation even throughout his premiership?
The fact that Mahathir’s remarks were made in a recent interview with Thanthi TV, a Tamil news channel based in Chennai, India, means the world gets to hear it too. Did he care about the consequences?
These are the questions being shared by the public.
Well, Tun, Indians in Malaysia are not any less Malaysians. Hence to call them “immigrants” today or by calling Malaysian Indians as “pendatang” is gross, wicked injustice.
So how do you propose then to deal with Sabahans and Sarawakians? Must they too dump their rich, indigenous identities and be immersed into your version of Malay-ness?
Also Tun, your perspective that Indians (and other non-Malays here) must fully assimilate and “become Malay” betrays common sense let alone dastardizing the voluminous research in sociology.
Tun you said that Malaysian Indians (although) “have certain rights, they cannot claim that this country belongs (to them)”. Pray tell the world what then is the meaning of citizenship?
Is your stance not that of an apartheid mentality?
Or are Malaysians even not qualified and justified to even ask these questions out of pain?
Citizens now agree with the two former MPs from DAP, who said Mahathir should be ashamed of himself.
Hence I am asking, should Tun Dr Mahathir not apologise to all citizens? Or should the instruments and vanguards of the rule of law not haul him up immediately and charge him for making seditious statements that could have threatened national security and peace in the country?
Let the fact be known that if this transpired in any democratic nation by now there would have been massive street protests.
But fortunately (or unfortunately) Malaysian Indians are so benign and fearful of the law that they rather place their frustrations, sense of pain and disappointment onto social media.
We must put an end to all this race madness if at all we are to get back on our feet to rebuild our nation to its past glories and be seen to be working with repeated calls by our Rulers. – January 14, 2024
JD Lovrenciear, an Aliran member, is a KL-based writer, trainer and consultant, who also offers his time to support initiatives to build a progressive society